Cube Puzzle FAQ
Quick answers about solving the cube and using the tools in this section. Can’t find what you need? See the beginner’s guide or about this section.
All questions
How do I solve a Rubik’s cube?
Use the beginner’s method: white cross, white corners, middle layer, yellow cross, yellow edges, place the yellow corners, then twist them. Our 7-step guide has pictures and the trainer lets you practise each step.
How does the cube solver work?
It uses Kociemba’s two-phase method, written from scratch for this site. It runs in your browser and usually finds a solution of about 20 moves in under a second.
Why does the solver say my cube is impossible?
Usually a sticker was entered wrongly. It can also mean a corner was twisted, an edge flipped or two pieces swapped by hand. The message says which.
Which way should I hold the cube?
For the solver and scrambles: white centre on top, green centre facing you. For the beginner’s method from step 2: white on the bottom, yellow on top.
How do I turn the 3D cube?
Tap a sticker to choose its face and press the turn buttons, or swipe a sticker in the direction you want it to move. Drag the background to look around. On a keyboard, use U D L R F B (Shift for anticlockwise).
What do R, U and F mean?
They are faces: Right, Up (top) and Front. A letter alone is a clockwise quarter turn, a dash (R’) is anticlockwise, and a 2 (R2) is a half turn.
How many moves does it take to solve a cube?
A perfect solver never needs more than 20. The beginner’s method usually takes 100 to 180 turns, and speedcubing methods about 55 to 60.
How many positions can a cube have?
43,252,003,274,489,856,000 (about 43 quintillion).
What is the world record?
As of October 2026, 2.51 seconds for a single solve (Xuanyi Geng) and 3.51 seconds for an average of five (Yiheng Wang).
What are ao5 and ao12?
Averages of your last 5 or 12 solves, with the best and worst dropped. Competitions rank by average of 5.
Are my times and progress saved?
Yes, but only in your own browser on this device. Nothing is sent to us. You can export your times as a file.
Do I need an account?
No. There are no accounts, no chat and no messages between players.
Does it work offline?
Once a page has loaded, the cube, solver and timer keep working without a connection until you leave the page.
Can I solve a 2x2 or 4x4 here?
Not yet. The tools are for the 3x3 cube.
Is this the official Rubik’s cube website?
No. This is an independent puzzle site. Rubik’s cube is a trade mark of Spin Master, and this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Spin Master.